It’s Time to Ditch the Paper Receipt

We’ve all been there— at a clothing store, home goods shop, or market, when someone asks us: Would you like your receipt printed or emailed? I have a habit of saying printed, it’s quicker, easier, and guarantees I won’t get junk mail about special sales and offers. But even though a paper receipt may seem like a small piece of trash with little harm to the environment, it’s doing more damage than you think.

Image courtesy of The Guardian

Paper receipts create a shocking 1.5 billion pounds of waste per year. According to the Huffington Post, “Over 250 million gallons of oil, 10 million trees, and 1 billion gallons of water are consumed each year in the creation of receipts for the United States alone.” But luckily, many businesses are going green with an alternative option, electronic receipts. Some businesses have even started asking if you’d like a receipt at all.

Not only are electronic receipts good for the environment, they’re convenient, and won’t weigh down or clutter your wallet. So the next time a cashier asks you if you’d like your receipt printed or emailed, I urge you to think twice before you answer, and choose the more sustainable option.